Christine V. Emery wants to disrupt what it means to age, from how we view the concept to how we incorporate it into staying fit and healthy daily.

The daughter of a U.S. Foreign Service officer, Emery was born in Laos and grew up in five countries, gaining passion and exposure for international affairs. Combining that love with her admiration for non-profit work, she has worked to instill positive changes worldwide in variety of positions, from director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies to her most recent stint as vice-president for the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

HCB News sat down with Emery to discuss her new role as executive director for the AAMI Foundation, what her plans are for the non-profit, what assets she will bring to it and the HTM community, and how she plans to reach her goal at AAMI.

HCB News: I understand that much of your experience has been in non-profit. What interested you in pursuing a career in this area?
Christine Emery: I think some of that is by virtue of not entering a career with a grand plan. I’ve been in Washington, D.C for a long time. There are a lot of non-profits there. My first work was with some non-profit organizations that were focused on international affairs which has always been an interest of mine. It was one of those situations where one thing led to another. I understand how non-profits work. The management of a non-profit and the successful strategic planning for a non-profit, for most people, has been different than for a for-profit. Part of why I’ve been interested in working with them is to bring a different perspective of how the most successful non-profits are run more like for-profits.


HCB News: In the press release, you state that this is your first foray in healthcare, and that you are looking to disrupt the status quo of the current aging experience. Can you elaborate on what that means and how healthcare is the best industry to achieve that goal?
CE: Disrupting aging is something I’ve had in the back of my mind for the last few years. The personal journey of wellness and healthy aging is an issue of concern that I’ve noticed in many parts of the world in all the years of my traveling. In seeing how different cultures address it and how different individuals think about their own health as well as the roles of government and family, I haven’t seen or heard much of anything new for taking care of yourself and those you love as you move onwards from your ‘50s and ‘60s and hopefully for a long time.

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